it's all about the journey…not the destination!

Waking the sleeping giant

Rest day was uplifting. I biked to my Weight Watchers 8am meeting in a light breeze — it was glorious. The scale was good to me because I was good to myself this week. I had a loss of 4.4 pounds. Ohh that feedback felt G.O.O.D.!! All the good decisions I made this week regarding my body…lead to great decisions regarding food. It’s funny how that works. This week I ran 5 days, biked 3 days, did Zumba 2 days, gardened 1 day, hand weights everyday. It was an extraordinary week — but it was just what I needed to prove to myself that my “POWER” was inside and all I had to do was wake the sleeping giant.

My legs are starting to feel strong again, my thighs are tightening, feeling harder. My upper arms are building those little muscles again. Ok, they are l.i.t.t.l.e., but they are in there! All these physical signs make it so easy to eat better. I’ve been focusing on getting in good balanced carbs and protein. That magic mix has been keeping my appetite satisfied. I’ve been adding a slice of Ezekiel bread or 1/2 an english muffin to my egg and veg breakfast and its made all the difference. My mental satisfaction has been coming from enjoying what I’m eating, AND by the physical feedback my body is giving me. I’m toughening up. I’m liking it LOTS.

When I went to bed Saturday night, I had made a loose plan to run my two miles down and back up the BIG hill. This is the hill at the beginning of my long run path. It’s exactly 1 mile from the end of my road, doooown the Big HILL, and around the corner to the traffic light at the corner of Main Street and Old Bridge Turnpike — and then 1 mile back. Well, that mile back is mostly fine. But there is 1/2 a mile where I have to climb that Hill. Oh Listen Up, this HILL is not a figment of my imagination. This HILL is steep. This HILL is a 4-letter word! LOL. Back when I started running and, with humor, named the little hill on my street “the Hill”, I didn’t even fathom running down (and back up) this real HILL on River Road. The thought alone would have caused my forehead to sweat. LOL. So I went to bed with that HILL in my target. I’m going to conquer YOU tomorrow.

When I woke up Sunday morning, and laced up the Brooks, and stepped outside — Sunday morning took on a whole new feel. The humidity was back with a vengeance. It was only mid 70s — but I was sweating already. The air was thick! So, as I did my warm up walk, I decided to do another run on my neighborhood streets, and to save the HILL for another day. Hey, this wasn’t a cop-out. No way. It was a choice. Here is how I made my decision.

Remember back to science class when your teacher taught you about the Scientific Method? (Um, Diane….where are you going with this?) Stay with me — it’ll be Ok. Anyway — the fundamental basis of the method is that when you are conducting experiments, you should have one, and only one, unknown variable in your equation at any given time. All others variables should be constants, known. Well — as I was walking and warming up (without coffee, no less….God! that’s hard), I figured….the heat and humidity was today’s unknown variable. Since this is the enemy that chased me inside to the treadmill back in July, I needed to prove to myself that I could be successful running AGAIN, even with the heat and humidity. I NEEDED to teach myself that I could kick the run’s @ss even in the heat. So, If I threw another unknown into the equation….and added the HILL…..I felt that I would only make myself worry that I couldn’t do the HILL, at all! EVER! And that was something I wasn’t about to let myself experience. No Way! No How!!

So I chose to keep to 1 unknown variable. I ran the regular route, and kicked the heat’s @ss. I finished in record time. My pace was awesome. My stomach felt 100 times better without the coffee and banana. Only vitacoco. Much better. (Thank you Marathon Brian , again!) I felt strong. I was a hot sweaty mess….but I was a successful, hot, sweaty mess!! I chose to hold the HILL off for another day. Perhaps a day when the heat is less. Maybe tomorrow if I get lucky. I want to run those 2 miles down and back up the hill — just to prove to myself that I can do it. I want to do it as homework in advance of the start of my long runs two SUndays from now. It’s on the list — but it was better not to do it today.

I’m making great strides this week. Feeling mentally stronger each day. I’m not sure if I touched “the switch” today. I think I traded off speed for “the switch” today. Need to back that down tomorrow. It was nice, felt good, to know my pace was still “in there” too….but I need “the switch” more than I need the speed. So tomorrow I’m back to turning it down, slowing it down, and teaching myself to “FEEL” that place where I can do mile after mile.

Tomorrow, I’m going to need the slow and steady approach, to make it up that HILL. All the long runs I ever did for my Half Marathon training — I never made it all the way up that HILL without walking. But tomorrow I will. I’m waking up the sleeping giant! Only One Outcome. HELL YES!

About Diane

Ciao! My name is Diane. I'm a wife, a mom, a working professional, and a Weight Watcher from New Jersey. I started blogging in 2011, at 45 years old, when I was training for my first Half Marathon at Rutgers on April 22, 2012. Since then, I've lost 80 pounds, completed my Half Marathon goal and gone on to train for and run my very first Full Marathon. On Jan 13, 2013, I ran the Disney Marathon in Orlando, Fl! What an incredible day. As the saying goes -- "The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race." I am forever changed! So now we move on to the next phase of this journey! Come along. We're in this together!! Ciao for now!